How To Become A Pharmacist

Updated on November 18, 2011

If you are wondering how
to become a pharmacist, look no further. You will find all the information
you need to make that career choice below.

Like many people, I assumed that all a pharmacist did was
hand out pills prescribed by a doctor. That
could not be further from the truth. Pharmacists do take prescriptions and fill
them to the specifications of the doctor; however, they also check their
records to see if the patient is taking another drug that could harm them if
taken in combination with the new drug or make the new drug ineffective, they
also counsel the patient on the proper use of the drugs and give suggestions
about over-the-counter drugs and preparations. Occasionally the pharmacist will
compound the drugs but most of the pills, liquids and ointments they sell are pre-packaged by
drug companies.

Pharmacists spend most of their time at work on their feet
and wear gloves masks and other protective equipment when working with
dangerous or sterile products. The average work week is 40 hours; a small
percentage of pharmacists work part time.

What Courses Do You Need to Become a Pharmacist?

There are approximately 100 schools in the United States
where pharmacy is taught. Some of the schools are parts of larger universities,
but some are also self-standing institutions. In order to become a pharmacist
you need to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD); although jobs such as
pharmacy technician only require an undergraduate degree.

I’ve chosen to highlight one school of pharmacy for
informational purposes.

The qualifications you need to have earned in high school in
order to be accepted into the program include 4 years of English, 2 years of a
foreign language, 3 years of mathematics, 1 year of biology, 1 year of
chemistry and 5 other academic courses such as physics.

The Ernest Mario School program is six years of study; 2
pre-professional years of two semesters and four years of professional courses
of two semesters each. Selected courses
include general biology, general chemistry, college-level writing, calculus,
humanities courses, psychology, statistics, molecular biology, pharmacology,
poison control and practical experience.

Before a graduate becomes a licensed pharmacist they must
pass a board examination. They must
choose a specialty and they will be tested on that speciality. The Board of
Pharmaceutical Specialties certifies pharmacists in these five specialties;
nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support pharmacy, oncology pharmacy,
pharmacotherapy (cardiology or infectious disease), and psychiatric pharmacy.
The Commission for Certification in Geriatric pharmacy certifies those who want
to specialize in geriatrics practice.
And lastly, The American Board of Applied Toxicology certifies those
pharmacists specializing in toxicology.

What are the Prospects for Pharmacist Jobs?

According to the U.S. Bureau of
Labor, there were 243,000 pharmacist jobs in 2006. Most of them were in
drugstores, grocery stores, department stores, or bulk stores. About one
quarter of all pharmacists worked in hospitals and a small percentage of all
pharmacists worked for mail-order pharmacies, Internet pharmacies, doctor’s
offices and the federal government. The job prospects for employment for
pharmacists are expected to grow by over 20 percent until 2016, which is better
than all other occupations. I found an earnings chart on the Bureau of Labor
website:

Pharmacists in department stores $99,050

Pharmacists in grocery stores $95,600

Pharmacists in pharmacies and drug stores $94,640

Pharmacists in general medical and surgical hospitals $93,640

Will Your be a Pharmacist?

If you have the time and the inclination, studying pharmacy can bring you a
rewarding and interesting career. Six years is a long time, as long as it takes
to become a doctor, but if being a pharmacist is something that really interests
you it is well worth the time and effort. And the monetary rewards are not that
bad either.

I hope this article answered all your questions on how to become a pharmacist. Good luck if you choose to take that path.